The god of the West Wind....

[HemiAdda2d]

Zephyrus--Lemme see your Zephyrs!!!!

Otto Perry bagged the Denver Zephyr leaving its namesake in 1962:

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004751/00004814.jpg

[BoxcabE50]

How about some older Zephyrs? Am sure there are some by Otto Perry?

:D

Boxcab E50

[HemiAdda2d]

How about some older Zephyrs? Am sure there are some by Otto Perry?

:D

Boxcab E50

Yes, Otto did some great work east of the D&RGW-- Train #10, Denver Zephyr; 10 cars, locomotive "Aeolus", at Union Station Photographed: Denver, Colo., February 26, 1938.

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004251/00004322.jpg

[BoxcabE50]

Yup. That's what I want! Classic steam, and the first streamlined Zephyr motors.

:D

Boxcab E50

[HemiAdda2d]

Yup. That's what I want! Classic steam, and the first streamlined Zephyr motors.

:D

Boxcab E50
Otto Perry photo...
"The Zephyr, for official opening of Denver & Rio Grande Western "Dotsero Cut-off", 2 cars. Photographed: leaving Denver, Colo., June 16, 1934. "

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004626/00004706.jpg

[BoxcabE50]

Those motors were homely. Yet beautiful.

:D

Boxcab E50

[smurf764]

Yes, by today's standards they were homely/bueatiful.....

But there is the movie, the original "Silver Streak" with Author Lake. The Zephyr is the star of the movie, the "new" mode of streamline speed rushing to Hoover Dam (known then as Boulder Dam) from the World's Fair in Chicago....

My Dad was on a track crew for the "Q"....His foreman would talk about the time they had to walk the entire track from Denver to Chicago when the Zephyr made it's speed/record run. They were so concerned about the stream line speed that they picked up debris from the track, spikes, etc, so that the Zephyrs vacuum would suck anything up; they didn't know what would happen so they cleaned up the tracks.

[YoHo]

I've walked in and around the Pioneer Zephyer many times at MSI, but I've never gotten a picture of it that worked.
:(

[HemiAdda2d]

A night shot of Denver Zephyr:

"Denver Zephyr, after record non-stop run from Chicago, Ill, averaging 83 MPH, 8 cars, standing, night scene. Photographed: in Denver, Colo., October 23, 1936."

Otto Perry:

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004626/00004734.jpg

[BoxcabE50]

They were so concerned about the stream line speed that they picked up debris from the track, spikes, etc, so that the Zephyrs vacuum would suck anything up; they didn't know what would happen so they cleaned up the tracks.

I wish they'd take such care of tracks today. I remember a couple of conversations with old section men. Where they'd have crews walking tracks during summer, hand pulling weeds that had infiltrated the ballast.

:D

Boxcab E50

[HemiAdda2d]

Yeah, and today, a major coal artery in Colorado has section that look like this:
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/629/mud_near_t5.jpg

[BoxcabE50]

:omg: Now there's a drainage problem! Hmmm. Would it be cheaper to do something now? Or wait until millions of dollars in equipment, and customer goods, are splattered around the countryside.....?

:sad:

Boxcab E50

[HemiAdda2d]

...In one of the most inaccessible locations on that entire route...
The only way in is a tough hike over the flatiron fingers, or thru the tunnels. Even a helicopter would have a tough time to land.

[BoxcabE50]

...In one of the most inaccessible locations on that entire route....

:eek: That's not good! :eek:

:sad:

Boxcab E50

[HemiAdda2d]

Ineed--this is a wrecked car at the bottom of the gully just outside Tunnel 5, where I captured that muddy ROW:

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/629/wrecked_car_at_T5_6.jpg

[BNSF7173]

You really have to love the art deco of the 1930's. Tina and I would take those black and white photos from Otto and have them framed, they are art work!

[HemiAdda2d]

Not much scenery in this shot, but I love the glint!
Otto Perry:

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004626/00004749.jpg

[wiking]

At a train show this month a picked up the Silver streak movie for $15.00 Dollars. It was not bad.

Alan

[JASON]

Yeah, and today, a major coal artery in Colorado has section that look like this:
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/629/mud_near_t5.jpg

Mmm,t5.I was going to say on the Craig branch.....now there is some inaccessible trackage.
Think of it as a "weathering station" Jere lol.

[HemiAdda2d]

"Train #10, Denver Zephyr; 10 cars, 65 MPH, locomotive "Aeolus". Photographed: east of Derby, Colo., February 26, 1938. "

Otto Perry photo:

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004251/00004323.jpg

[BNSF7173]

If there is a Heven, I hope it will alow us to go anywhere in time and that picture would be one of the spots I would go to. Check out that transition car after the tender. You just don't see that kind of style anymore.

Jim

[HemiAdda2d]

Little expense was spared in that train.. The stainless steel sure added class as well...

[BN9900]

Otto Perry photo...
"The Zephyr, for official opening of Denver & Rio Grande Western "Dotsero Cut-off", 2 cars. Photographed: leaving Denver, Colo., June 16, 1934. "

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004626/00004706.jpg

Actually it was 3 cars, the "engine was considered a car

[HemiAdda2d]

Actually it was 3 cars, the "engine was considered a car
Since the engine was considered a car, was it a baggage car, or a coach? I doubt a coach, due to noise.

[Kozmo]

Yes, Otto did some great work east of the D&RGW-- Train #10, Denver Zephyr; 10 cars, locomotive "Aeolus", at Union Station Photographed: Denver, Colo., February 26, 1938.

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004251/00004322.jpg
Questions on this baby - Aeolus - aka the 4000 - aka "alice the goon"
What zephyr cars did she help pull?
As in, I read that she was made to help out pulling zephyr pass. trains when the deisels were busy.
I would assume the Cali zephyr cars that the F3's usually pulled, but that was not till the 50's? and there was also the 1934 pioneer zephyr.
and I found this photo that shows the Aeolus pulling what appears to be articulated passenger cars of the Pioneer Zephyr???
http://www.castlegraphics.com/photo/displayimage.php?pid=20&fullsize=1
also larger 1280 at: http://www.castlegraphics.com/photo/displayimage.php?pid=20&fullsize=1
http://www.castlegraphics.com/photo/displayimage.php?album=1&pos=10

What did Aeolus pull?
Thanks

[HemiAdda2d]

Wow, some good questions...
Looking at the linked photos, it seems Aeolus is pulling articulated cars.. The photo above says Denver Zephyr, so I'm assuming that the Pioneer Zephyr success was repeated many times for other Zephyr trainsets. My money is on a trainset build for the Denver Zephyr, powered by a steamer, not a diesel. What's the date on that large, linked photo? (whew, that was a bunch of italics)

[Kozmo]

looking at both photos, it almost looks like the "1st car" behind the tender is the front/engine of the 1934 pioneer zephyr with the front 1/4 or 1/5 chopped off???

I have a 1934 Con-Cor Pioneer Zephyr in N scale.
Maybe Con-Cor could make that 1st car as a chopped/dummie for us, then we could decide to have the diesel or steam powered. Con-Cor still sells the Hudson streamlined Aeolus steamer. a local hobby shop has one in stock/on sale.
Too bad the Pioneer Zephyr articulated cars are soooo pricey! ($99 street each)

[HemiAdda2d]

Train #10, Denver Zephyr, 12 cars, 70 MPH. Photographed: near Keenesburg, Colo., December 3, 1944.
Otto Perry:

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004626/00004747.jpg

[Kozmo]

Train #10, Denver Zephyr, 12 cars, 70 MPH. Photographed: near Keenesburg, Colo., December 3, 1944.
Otto Perry:

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004626/00004747.jpg

Nice Find!
Looks like an A-B Consist (double power) of Pioneer Zephyr locos/Cars.
Loco/Cars as in not quite a standard Diesel loco like an F3, F7 and not really a car. a loco that looks like a car. There must be a better than for them?
That first car (after the first two (locos)) looks like the car that starts behind the streamlined steamer tender.
btw, I saw the N scale Con-Cor Aeolus 4-6-4 steamer at a local hobby shop. it looks , well, bad. cheap plastic look, not as nice as the photo above. the streamlined shrouding does not go as low on the loco & the tender, and other inaccuracies. too bad, could have had an easy to make set for Con-Cor. as in take the 1934 pioneer Zephyr cars and make a transition car like that one above and then package it with that steamer. but the cars would look 1000 times better than the loco.
Maybe GHQ will read this? or maybe I should make GHQ (also in the Twin Cities area) aware of this? maybe they can make a kit like they did for the Hiawatha.

[HemiAdda2d]

Kozmo,
You should really find this book of Otto Perry's work. It has lots of great shots, of all sorts of western US railroads in steam and transition: Amazon.com: Otto Perry: Master Railroad Photographer: Books: Otto Perry

[Burlington John]

Nice Find!
Looks like an A-B Consist (double power) of Pioneer Zephyr locos/Cars. Loco/Cars as in not quite a standard Diesel loco like an F3, F7 and not really a car. a loco that looks like a car. There must be a better than for them?

The 1930s era Denver Zephyrs featured an A-B shovelnose power consist ... the first car behind the B unit provided what we now know as HEP for the train ... you can still see one on the Nebraska Zephyr set at the Illinois RR Museum in Union.

No, the Pioneer Zephyr was not cut up, etc., to provide equipment for the DZ.

Regards,
Burlington John
:shade:

[BNSF7173]

Burlington John, welcome to TrainBoard and thanks for posting. Please feel to post anything you have CB&Q here. I live not too far from the IRM, I really need to get there more often.:embarassed:

Jim

[HemiAdda2d]

Welcome, John!! If you have any shots you'd like to share, plase do!! ;)

[Burlington John]

Thanks for the welcome!

The steam engine pictured on page 3 was originally CB&Q S4 Hudson 3002. It was rebuilt by the forces at the Burlington's West Burlington Iowa shops and released for service in 1937.

Another Aeolus, 4001, was built from scratch at West Burlington using components supplied by Baldwin. It was released for service in 1938. Interestingly, 4001 was built with an enclosed cab (much like the Burlington's O5 Northerns), the only Q steamer besides the O5 Northerns so equipped.

They were built to protect the schedules of the Denver Zephyr and Twin Cities Zephyr, but usually ran on the Black Hawk and other special trains.

The shrouds came off in 1942 and the engines remained in regular service. 4000 was retired and is on display in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

4001 was overhauled at the Denver shops in March of 1954 and towed dead to Lincoln where it was set up for service. Unfortunately, the call to service never came and 4001 went to the scrapper in October of 1960 without having been operated since her overhaul!

Regards & Everywhere West,
Burlington John

[BoxcabE50]

4001 was overhauled at the Denver shops in March of 1954 and towed dead to Lincoln where it was set up for service. Unfortunately, the call to service never came and 4001 went to the scrapper in October of 1960 without having been operated since her overhaul!

Ouch. That's sad!

Welcome to TrainBoard!

:D

Boxcab E50

[HemiAdda2d]

OK, so it's not steam, or articulated, but it still is classy. One of my favorite engines, the E5; resplendent in fluted, polished stainless!
Otto Perry photo:
CB&Q train, engine number 9912 + additional diesel units, engine type EMC E5
Call Number OP-4776
Summary Train #1, Denver Zephyr. Photographed: near Denver, Colo., 1940s.

http://photoswest.org/photos/00004751/00004776.jpg

[HemiAdda2d]

More classic E5's!

Another masterpiece by Otto Perry, check out the locomotive skirts over the trucks!!!
"Train #22, Morning Zephyr. Photographed: at St. Paul, Minn., July 26, 1940."
"CB&Q train, engine number 9911, engine type EMC E5 "
http://photoswest.org/photos/00004751/00004770.jpg